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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24325405">Curtsey</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMusicalCC/pseuds/TheMusicalCC'>TheMusicalCC</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drabble, Friendship, Gen, Male-Female Friendship, Y'all know I ship it but they're friends before anything else in my head</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:28:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,247</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24325405</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMusicalCC/pseuds/TheMusicalCC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>“It’s sort of a big deal, though.” he insists half-reluctantly “Someone like you bowing to someone like me.”</p><p>(Or, a small scene in post-Twilight-War Hyrule.)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Link &amp; Zelda (Legend of Zelda)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Curtsey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Wonder if I’d lose my head if anyone knew.” Link says off-handedly and he laughs a bit uncomfortable when she gives him a blank -and somewhat intimidating- stare in return. He looks down at Castle Town, that tries to mimic the night sky as best as it can with the blinking lights that adorn it and tries not to look nervous “That you- y’know- you, er, you bowed to me. That one time.”</p><p>“Oh.” Zelda considers it briefly, completely seriously too. “I wouldn’t allow it.”</p><p>“Figures, but- well, wouldn’t these folks have a problem with it?” he jerks his head to the throne room behind them. So far, no on has made any comment about the fact that he’s technically just a ranch-hand that decided to pick up a sword and fight the invasion and did such a good job at it that it earned him some consideration among nobility, but he doubts the aristocrats are really all that happy about it. Not that they’d ever done something to earn <em> their </em> status besides… y’know, <em> being born </em> , but- he’s aware that something like that can easily become a… well, a <em> thing </em>. Nobility isn’t all that thrilled with Zelda either; '<em>Surrender to an evil army to avoid further bloodshed<strong> one time</strong> and all of a sudden everyone becomes a critic</em>.' As Midna once put it.</p><p>But thinking about Midna is still a tender spot, so he pushes the thought away.</p><p>“Bold of you to assume I care for that.” Zelda dismisses with a slight shrug and a curl to the corners of her mouth. She rarely smiles, like… really, fully smile, outside of the polite, public relations kind of smile she sports in events. Link has made his peace with it now. He can only imagine how envious most people would be to know he got to see that rare occurrence within their third meeting -twice- and it tickles him to no end.</p><p>“Isn’t it like a crime of state or somethin’?”</p><p>“You are fixating on this quite a bit, hm?” her tone is amused and he feels himself stiffen a bit, self-conscious.</p><p>“S’ hard not to over-think about the Ruler of a Kingdom bowing to a country bumpkin. That is, after all the hooplah's done with- at the time I was just still sorta dazed with the whole glowy puddle magic realm thinguie.”</p><p>She squints at him a bit, humming amusedly through her nose, the curve of her mouth deepening the slightest. Link's gotten familiar with the gesture. It's as close to unabashed laughter as she gets unless something <em>really</em> funny happens and she can't help herself. He really wishes he could see it more often.</p><p>“I don’t think I’ve heard or read anyone describing the Light Realm like that.” she pauses “You know, hardly anyone bothers with the actual, written, certified legality of things anymore. Tradition is really all most people need to decide whether something is legal or not— it’s how we end up with doctors who refuse to treat patients because they’re not hylian or human and guards who inherit their places in the force rather than earn it.”</p><p>“And what does tradition say?”</p><p>“That a Princess- practically Queen at the time, mind you- can bow down to whoever she well damn pleases. Provided that she wants to, of course.”</p><p>“O’course.” he hesitates for a beat, pursing his lips “... you wanted to?” She makes that squinty, amused face-that-isn’t-quite-a-smile again and he rubs the back of his head a bit sheepishly.</p><p>"She was right." Zelda says and it's her tone that makes him realize who she's talking about even before she continues, leaning on the stone rail "You can be dense as chu-chu jelly sometimes."</p><p>Her eyes drift the horizon, towards the lake, and even farther. The desert... and the old stones withstanding the sun and the sand that await whoever crosses it. And the goodbye she too had to say that day.</p><p>"I'm sorry..." she mutters "Sometimes I feel when we avoid talking about Midna is almost like we are <em>trying</em> to forget her."</p><p>She's right, of course. Every time he forces himself to think of something else, it feels like burying her a bit more in the desert sand with the pieces of the mirror, but the alternative hurts so much that he can't bear it for long.</p><p>"I don't want to forget." she whispers, closing her eyes, and for a moment she looks just about as broken as she did that day, so Link reaches for her arm and places his hand on it softly.</p><p>"You won't." he said. He believes it whole-heartedly, because it's the only thing he can do "And neither will I. Ever." Out there, the moon outlines the dunes and he things of a black palace with blue ornaments.</p><p>How could he ever forget, provided he wanted to? Sometimes even the way the shadows dance around the torches has him on a memory journey. But even a bumpkin like him knows time has a way of changing things- Link knows there may come a day when he can't paint her in his mind clearly anymore. He's still young and the rest of his life will have to go without her. It's an horrible thought.</p><p>"...don't apologize for talkin' about it, OK? I'll listen. I'll even pipe in if... if I can." he doesn't think he will be able to just yet but i's a truthful offer. Zelda nods with a hum but says nothing more, giving him enough time to swallow the knot around his throat. It seems that as much as she wants to talk about it, it may be a tender spot for her as well.</p><p>"Do you think I would have done if if I hadn't wanted to?" she suddenly says, continuing the previous topic in a tone that tries a bit too hard to be natural.</p><p>"Could be." he ventures, allowing it "You do have a self-sacrificial streak."</p><p>She lets out a breath that may or not be a scoff.</p><p>"Well- I wanted to, just for the record." she straightens and actually stretches her back, rolling shoulders under the armor pads and groaning a bit. "And quite honestly, I don't see what the fuzz is about. As Rusl would put it: It's not a big deal."</p><p>“It <em>is</em> sort of a big deal, though.” he insists half-reluctantly “Someone like you bowin' to someone like me.”</p><p>“I’ll tell you what. Next time I’ll save Hyrule and you can bow to me in the <em> light puddle world thingue </em>so we are even.” She’s joking, of course. She has the unnerving gift of cracking good ones with a dead serious face that throws him off-balance more often than not, but he’s sure. Her mouth may not smile but her eyes do. “And- provided that anyone learns of it, we can say it was curtsey.”</p><p>Speaking of which- Ashei is signing at them frantically from the throne room door- either someone wants to talk to one of them or the nobles' whispering has started. Either way, seems like it’s time to go back inside. Link bows theatrically before offering Zelda his arm. She hums and returns the gesture- she’s unable to look anything but dignified, it seems, but it’s a good try.</p><p>“There. Curtsey.”</p><p>“Eh, it’s not the same without the glowy puddle.”</p><p>Ashei looks at them like they're crazy when they walk up the stairs and he's snickering like a little kid and Zelda has a self-satisfied smile.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I really missed writing for these guys so I squeezed out a small thing. I imagine after Midna left, Link and Zelda bond over the loss, and they become close over time, so they get to joke around and talk about things like they did here. Also, the Resistance gained some sort of honorary rank, as they were the only ones besides Link doing SOMETHING while Hyrule was falling apart.</p><p>Zelda having resting-bitch face syndrome is a headcanon of mine, as is Link having the toned-down version of Fado's accent.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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